


Working Out the Kinks

by dettiot



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 04:53:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4006546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dettiot/pseuds/dettiot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gym AU.  Oliver teaches Spinning, Felicity is the new yoga instructor, and things are about to get interesting at Battlefield Fitness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Working Out the Kinks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [closer2fine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/closer2fine/gifts).



> Originally posted on Tumblr. Happy birthday, closer2fine! And no, I didn't intend to write 9000 words on this, but with an awesome idea I couldn't help how much of a wordy bitch I am. :-)

Gripping the strap of her yoga mat tightly, Felicity Smoak walked through the doors of Battlefield Fitness, wondering again why she was here. Why she had passed up the chance to teach at the best yoga studio in Starling City and instead agreed to come here, to this sweaty, loud gym. 

Because you’re going to start the yoga program from the ground up and make a difference, her mind reminded her. 

Battlefield was a full-service gym, open to anyone who wanted to join. But the owner made a priority to target military veterans, encouraging the newly-discharged to become members and work out their difficulties through exercise. 

“But cardio and weights can only go so far,” John Diggle had explained to Felicity when she had interviewed. “I think we can focus on the mind, through yoga and meditation, and I think you’re the woman to do it.” 

Flattery didn’t get you everywhere, but it definitely worked on Felicity. Add in the fact that Battlefield paid a good salary and was flexible with her schedule needs and it seemed like an easy decision. 

But now, surrounded by the gym, she was having second thoughts. 

“Felicity!” 

Turning around quickly, she tried to smile at the buff woman approaching her. “Hi?” 

The woman smiled and held out her hand. “I’m Lyla, John’s wife. It’s great to have you on board.” 

“Oh!” Felicity quickly shook Lyla’s hand. “Thank you. I’m … nervous. But excited! Really excited, honestly.” 

Lyla smiled. “I know this place seems rough around the edges, but our members are great, and we’ve got the best staff around. I should know–I’m one of the trainers, like Johnny.” 

“With the size of John’s arms, I’m not surprised he’s a trainer,” Felicity said, before she slapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry!”

“I’d worry more if you didn’t notice his guns,” Lyla said with a laugh. “C’mon, let me show you around and get you introduced to everyone. We’ve got two other trainers, Nyssa and Sara. On the cardio side of things–and let me tell you, it’s like the Montagues and the Capulets between cardio and trainers–we have Oliver who’s mostly handling Spinning right now, then Laurel and Roy for aerobics and Crossfit, and Shado does barre fitness.” 

Felicity wished she had her tablet to be taking notes, and her expression must have given away what she was feeling. Lyla chuckled and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, there’s not going to be a quiz or anything. You’ll get to know everyone. We’re a pretty close-knit bunch around here.” 

Nodding, but still worrying, Felicity followed Lyla through the large room that made up the main fitness area at Battlefield. It was chock-full of treadmills, bikes, ellipticals and other cardio equipment on one side, separated from the free weights and Crossfit equipment. 

Even though she wasn’t much for extra workouts beyond yoga, Felicity ran her eyes over the equipment. She spotted a few doors, which she assumed were the entrances to the various studios–Battlefield had rooms for Spinning, aerobics, barre fitness and now yoga. 

Lyla introduced Felicity to Nyssa and Sara–women with muscles that Felicity envied, which made Sara’s compliment to Felicity’s defined arms feel like the highest praise–and then Laurel, who was Sara’s sister and very intense. 

“Roy’s off today, and you’re bound to get along with Shado, and Oliver–oh, good, his class is done now,” Lyla said, as the door to one of the studios opened, allowing the exit of several women in skin-tight exercise outfits and with mascara running down their cheeks. 

She watched curiously as the women gathered in groups, guzzling down water and wiping their smeared makeup away as they talked quietly but definitely enthusiastically. Lyla smiled and nodded to everyone, offering up praise for their hard work, before stepping into the Spinning room. Felicity hurried to catch up, only to come to a full stop just inside the door.

Now she understood. Because she didn’t know Greek gods had come to Earth to masquerade as Spinning instructors. 

Oliver was leaning over, adjusting something on his bike. Which meant his firm, round ass was on perfect display. In tight shorts, you could see every bit of tone and definition in his muscles, and Felicity felt the sudden urge to see if she could bounce a quarter off his ass. 

Not that rest of him was any slouch, from what she could see. His back was sweaty and bare, showcasing broad shoulders that narrowed to a tiny waist and then, that ass. 

Someone call a fireman, Felicity thought to herself. Because too hot–hot damn. 

Her mind really hated her for thinking of Uptown Funk at a time like this.

And then he turned around, and Felicity lost the ability to word. Because … _hot damn_.

Her eyes bounced around his body, from his muscled arms to his defined pecs to his _eight_ -pack of abs, for frack’s sake, and then his strong thighs and _holy shit_ , the v-ridge that lead the eye right down to his–

“Felicity?”

Lyla’s voice was amused yet firm. Felicity jumped and said, “Yes? I mean, yes, that’s me.” 

She finally looked at Oliver’s face and–oh, hell no. 

There was no way it was fair for his face to look like that. All scruff-covered jaw that could cut glass and blue eyes that pierced your soul and a full mouth twisted up in a sexy smirk–

Wait. A smirk. 

He knew she had been checking him out. And he was smirking about it. 

And she hated being smirked at. 

Felicity lifted her chin as Lyla made the introductions. “Felicity, this is Oliver. Oliver, this is Felicity, our new yoga instructor. She’s got the studio next to Shado.” 

“All the way at the other end from me,” Oliver said, his voice deep and very manly and nooooo this was so not fair!

Taking a deep breath, Felicity ran through some of her favorite relaxation mantras, grasping for her normal state of zen. 

“Trying to tell me something, Lyla?” Oliver continued, looking at his boss’s wife. 

“Do you think I have enough time to worry about the love lives of my instructors? Short answer: I don’t,” Lyla said, gesturing for Felicity to head for the door. 

“Nice to meet you, Felicity,” Oliver called out, caressing the four syllables of her name. 

“Nice to meet you, too,” she said, hoping she sounded unruffled and completely unaffected by him. Really, it was just the shock. Sure, everyone she had met so far were incredibly good-looking, but Oliver was head and shoulders above all the other staff members. Or maybe she was just thinking that because there were only two other male instructors, and one of them was her boss–and she hadn’t met the other one. Maybe this Roy was even hotter than Oliver!

Not possible, her mind and body said in unison. 

Blurgh, Felicity thought.

“I know what I said in there,” Lyla said once they left the Spinning studio, “but as much as I love Oliver, I would say that falling for him wouldn’t be the smartest thing. He’s dated Laurel off and on for years, and during one of the off times he hooked up with Sara, before she got with Nyssa. And I’m not sure, but I think he had a thing with Shado once.” 

So basically he had been involved with every straight, unattached woman at this gym. Felicity frowned and nodded. “I see.” 

“Oliver is John’s best friend and he’s a wonderful friend–loyal, caring, always there. And he thinks the sun rises and sets on his sister. But as a boyfriend?” Lyla made a face. “He’s too damn pretty and he knows it.” 

“Don’t worry, Lyla–I want to focus on my work,” Felicity said, trying to reassure her. “I know how to handle guys like Oliver. And I don’t want to cause any trouble.” 

Lyla smiled and patted Felicity’s shoulder. “Smart thinking, Felicity. Let’s see your studio, okay?” 

“Sounds great!” Felicity said with a smile, following Lyla. But then she felt eyes on her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Oliver leaning out of the Spinning studio, watching her walk away. 

Turning around, Felicity kept her shoulders relaxed and her walk slow as she let him look.

XXX

Oliver had been pretty against adding yoga classes. He had actually had an argument with Digg about it. 

_“It’s diluting the business! Getting away from what makes us different and unique,” Oliver said, pacing in Digg’s closet of an office._

_“Oliver, I know you’re the reason we’re here–if it hadn’t been for your investment, Battlefield wouldn’t exist,” Digg said, leaning back in his chair. “But you agreed that I was in charge. And I think we could do more for all of our members. They’ve been asking for yoga and pilates; Shado can’t do more than the couple of barre classes she does now.”_

_Blowing out a breath, Oliver had nodded. “You’re right, Digg. I just hope this works out for us.”_

Now that he had gotten a look at their new yoga instructor, Oliver was feeling much more confident about the success of this idea.

Because based on her body alone, Felicity must be the best yoga teacher around. She was all curves–sexy ones, like her gently-muscled upper arms, soft and rounded breasts, and hips that flared in a way that made him want to grab on and squeeze. 

Grab on and hold her in place as he ground his hips against her ass. Her ass was magnificent. High, tight, rounded, on perfect display in a pair of heather gray yoga pants. Her stomach looked flat and toned, too, from what he could tell with the floaty tank top she was wearing.

All in all, Felicity was hot. And she taught yoga, which meant flexible and limber. He would definitely like to see what kind of yoga poses she could get into …

“Yo, Ollie, get your eyes off Felicity’s ass and back in your head.” 

Grimacing, Oliver turned around to face his ex, his ex, and his ex’s current girlfriend. “Like you didn’t look, too, Sara.” 

“I looked but I didn’t ogle,” Sara retorted cheerfully.

“I thought you promised Lyla and Digg you weren’t going to go after the new instructor,” Laurel said, her arms folded over her chest. “That after what happened with McKenna and Helena, you weren’t going to shit where you lived.” 

“Neither of them quit because of me,” Oliver protested. “Also, I don’t remember you being this opinionated when we dated.” 

Laurel gave him a saccharine smile. “I don’t remember you being this much of an asshole.” With that, she turned on her heel and went into the aerobics studio. 

“When did it become Kick Oliver Day?” he asked, looking at Sara and Nyssa. 

“It is a day that ends in y,” Nyssa said in a deadpan voice. 

“Look, I promised Digg I wouldn’t try anything,” Oliver said, fixing his eyes on Sara. “So I’m gonna leave her alone. But it doesn’t mean I can’t look. Believe me, she did plenty of looking.” 

Sara rolled her eyes. “Of course she looked. Your body has never been a problem, Oliver. It’s your raging fear of commitment.” 

“That is such a cliche,” he muttered. “I just haven’t met the right woman yet.” 

Which was true. He had never met a woman who made him want to settle down. For a long time he thought it might be Laurel, since she was the perfect combination of beauty and brains. She was putting herself through law school by teaching here, and he had known her forever. But they just seemed to bring out the worst in each other, highlighted by their spectacularly bad final break-up after he had slept with Sara.

So he wasn’t ready for love, commitment, the whole nine yards. But he was young, hot, and rich. Why not enjoy all three of those things while he could? 

Still … he found his eyes flicking over towards the studio that Lyla and Felicity had entered, wondering about her. Yeah, sure, she was hot. But there was something about her. She had checked him out _hard_. Had he ever met a woman who had been that open in her perusal of his body–and that appreciative of it? And when she realized he had noticed how she had noticed him, she was embarrassed, yeah–but she had risen to the challenge. She hadn’t backed down, hadn’t tried to hide what she had done. 

Her confidence was sexy as hell. Combined with her body, it made him want to know her. 

But he had promised Digg. Deep down, he knew that it _had_ been his fault, both Helena and McKenna leaving Battlefield. He couldn’t blame Digg for getting on his case about what Oliver had done. Because Oliver was making the life of his best friend harder. 

Which meant no pursuit of Felicity. Looking would have to satisfy him. 

Lyla and Felicity walked out of the new yoga studio, Felicity talking a million miles a minute and gesturing with her hands. He thought yoga teachers were all chill and laid-back, but Felicity was like a live wire. Bright and sparking. 

Oliver frowned. What the fuck? Why the hell was he thinking like this? He wasn’t going to go after Felicity, so it didn’t matter what he thought of her. She was off-limits. In the same box as his sister’s friends. (Because Thea was ten years younger than him and while he didn’t have a problem with the barely-legal, he did when the girl in question could then pull stupid girl shit on his sister.)

A sharp jab in his side made him jump. “Ow!” 

“Stop staring,” Sara said, her voice serious. “You promised Digg you wouldn’t screw this up. And I like Felicity already. I think she’ll fit in here.” 

“I’m not staring,” he said, a bit sulkily. 

“Um, yeah, you are,” Sara said, grinning and lightening the mood, just like she always did. “Can’t blame you, of course.”

He glanced over at Nyssa, whose face, as always, was blank. Then her lips twitched. “Nor can I.” 

One of these days, he would figure out when Nyssa was joking and when she wasn’t. Today wasn’t that day. 

Giving his head a shake, Oliver rolled his shoulders. “Look, I promised Digg, and the last thing I’d do is break that promise. She’s no different from any other woman and I can keep my dick in my pants.”

“Or shorts, in this case,” Sara said, waving her hand at his bike shorts and grinning.

“Don’t make fun of my shorts,” Oliver said, mock-glaring at Sara. 

“People, am I paying you all to stand around and talk about Oliver’s dick?”

Digg’s voice was amused, but there was an unmistakable note of command there. It was all Oliver could do not to come to attention, as he used to when he served in the same unit as Digg. 

Everyone scattered except for Lyla and Felicity. Oliver watched as Digg crossed to them, bending to kiss Lyla’s cheek before smiling at Felicity. “Everything looking good?” 

“Everything looks great,” Felicity said, smiling up at Digg, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed. “I can’t wait to get started. And I have to say, I’m going to have to start lifting more to fit in around here.” 

“You already fit in here just fine,” Digg said, his smile widening. 

And Oliver found himself agreeing. She did fit in. And he wanted her to stay around for a while. Long enough so he could figure out why he couldn’t stop looking at her. Couldn’t stop noticing her. Couldn’t stop thinking about her.

XXX

With a spring in her step and a bounce in her ponytail, Felicity walked into Battlefield Fitness, four weeks after her first day. 

When she had taken the job, she hadn’t thought her life could change so drastically. But it had, and the last four weeks had been the best month of her life.

Her classes were nearly immediately filled, whether beginner or advanced. The students had been amazing: so giving in spirit, so focused on fulfilling their own individual practice. Digg had been more right than he had realized: the people at Battlefield had wanted to find something to engage their minds and their bodies. And she had already fallen in love with each of her students, happy to see them advance and helping them when they needed it. 

Just as good as her classes were her coworkers. Sara had immediately taken Felicity under her wing, inviting her out for girls’ nights and lunches. The bubbly blonde soon became Felicity’s favorite person at Battlefield. Nyssa took a bit longer to warm up, but had soon become someone that Felicity respected and enjoyed talking with, especially when they discussed the more mystical aspects of life. 

As foretold by Lyla, Felicity and Shado clicked from the start, making plans to both get certified to teach Pilates. They were always sharing CDs, looking for new music to use in their classes. Roy, the other aerobics and Crossfit instructor, had the most beautiful face Felicity had ever seen–and was the dopiest, silliest boy in the world. They had fallen into the habit of taking silly selfies and posting them to Instagram.

It had taken a bit longer for Felicity to feel any kind of connection with Laurel–she was so smart and so focused on her studies. But slowly, Felicity started to see the warm, compassionate woman inside her. And Laurel was so good at giving advice: it was always clear-sighted and on point.

There was only one person that Felicity did not click with, did not try to form a connection with. Because Oliver Queen was off-limits. 

Not because of the typical reasons. She didn’t think he was too hot for her or felt like his money made him out of her reach.

No, he was off-limits because he was a complete and utter jerk.

He was just so annoying! And not in the way she would have expected. She had braced herself for non-stop flirting, comments that verged on the edge of sexual harassment, those sexy blue eyes of his running all over her in her yoga pants and crop tops …

But he hadn’t done anything like that. No, he acted more like an eight-year-old around her. If he walked past her, he would hip-check her. Given how humongous Oliver was, so solidly muscled, he always knocked her nearly off her feet. And if it wasn’t a hip-check, it was tweaking her ponytail. He would step up behind her silently, all ninja-like, and give her ponytail a tug. And by the time she turned around, he had always vanished.

Even worse was the way he talked to her. If she was in the small break room, talking to Sara or Nyssa or Shado, Oliver would hang around, clearly listening. But when Felicity tried to draw him into the conversation, he blew her off. After a while, she gave up trying, but then he started interjecting himself, offering up his opinion–which was usually wrong or not at all relevant to the matter at hand. 

Honestly, half the time she was waiting for him to call her a poophead or something. If it wasn’t for his amazing body, which she greatly enjoyed looking at when he was distracted, and for how he acted when he didn’t know she was around–the happy, loyal friend–she would just give up and write Oliver off.

Felicity didn’t want to write him off, though. She wanted to understand him, to solve the mystery of Oliver Queen. He got along well with everyone else at Battlefield–even Laurel and Sara, and both women had very good reasons to hate his guts. 

“But we can’t,” Sara said one night over drinks. “We’ve known Ollie forever. We both love him.”

“In our own ways,” Laurel said, a touch of bitterness mixing with regret in her voice. 

“I just don’t understand why he treats me this way,” Felicity said, using her straw to stir her margarita. “I’ve tried to be nice, I’ve tried ignoring him–nothing seems to work.” 

Laurel and Sara exchanged looks, and then Laurel straightened up in her chair. “You’ve been a saint, Felicity. Just hang in there–Ollie will get bored and he’ll eventually start treating you like he treats all of us.” 

“That’d be nice–Oliver seems like a great guy when he’s with you,” Felicity said with a sigh. “But right now, if I didn’t think I’d break my hand, I’d punch him really hard in his stomach.” 

Sara burst out laughing and Laurel smiled–a natural, happy smile that made her face light up. Felicity made a mental note to talk to Sara about whether Laurel was dating anyone, because she thought she had the perfect guy for the serious-yet-really-nice-on-the-inside brunette.

As much as she wanted to figure out Oliver, she had to get to work. She had a private lesson tonight, so she had come in special on her day off. That meant she had to set up her studio and get loosened up before her student arrived. It was nearly nine pm, so Battlefield was definitely quieter than it was at other times of the day. 

Humming softly, Felicity slipped into the yoga studio–the room she had come to think of as hers. It, and Battlefield as a whole, had become as important as her little apartment was. Because it was here that she felt happiest. Like she was where she was supposed to be. 

It only took a few minutes to lay out mats and towels, to check her mini-fridge for bottles of water, and to light a few candles and begin burning some incense, choosing a spicy cinnamon blend to promote engagement and connection. She went through her music, choosing something slightly more upbeat than she normally did, especially at this late hour of the night. But her student–someone new who had listed his name as Jonas–apparently had trouble sleeping and wanted to have a more vigorous session in order to clear his head. 

Then she closed her eyes and bowed her head, her hands at heart center, and let her mind let go of her conscious thoughts while she focused on truly feeling every part of her body. Once she felt fully in tune with her body, Felicity bent forward at the waist and began moving through her warm-up asanas. 

Downward dog, bringing each leg into the air and feeling the stretch in her hamstrings. Shifting smoothly into upward facing dog, making sure her chest was lifted as she looked up at the ceiling. She went through the poses two more times before rising to her feet. Now she performed a variety of warrior poses, loving the strength she felt flowing through her, inspiring her. 

She took a few deep breaths before lowering herself to her mat and beginning her favorite part of her warm-up: bridge and bow poses. First the bridge, her feet planted on the mat and lifting her hips into the air, her hands joined together underneath herself as her shoulders pressed into the mat. Closing her eyes, Felicity let herself feel rooted to the Earth, to her body, to this moment. 

Moving slowly, she lowered herself back to the mat and performed an easy bow pose, using her forearms and her feet to hold herself in the air. Her back and hips began to loosen, soften into something warm and relaxed. 

These poses never failed to make her feel sexy. It wasn’t the idea, but something about letting her body ease into the advanced poses of bridge with right leg extended and upward bow–they challenged her in the same way that good sex did. They took her to her limit and made her feel like she could do anything. That was why they were part of her warm-up and why she liked them best. 

With a quiet sigh, Felicity sank down on her mat, feeling every inch of her body press against the floor. Then she rose into a sitting position, taking a deep breath, before pushing up to her feet. 

But when she turned to face the door, ready to see if her student was here, she let out a soft “Eep!”

Because Oliver was standing in the doorway, his eyes wide and his face wiped clean of all expression, save one:

Desire. 

XXX

As he walked into the break room, pulling his tank top over his head, Oliver paused as he saw the note taped to the front of his locker. _Ollie_ was written on the front in a flowing script he’d know anywhere. It was Sara’s handwriting.

Grimacing slightly, he left the note alone and opened up his locker, tossing his tank into his duffel and grabbing his towel before heading to the showers. He could just guess what Sara’s note was about: telling him what a douche he was for how he was treating Felicity. 

Oliver was well aware of just how much of a douche he was being. But he couldn’t figure out how else to act around her. Because … God, he was so crazy about her. In a way that he had never felt around a woman. 

She was so alive. Lively, bright, engaged, making you feel happy to be breathing if you were around her. She wasn’t all hippie and gentle. No, Felicity was fierce and determined and amazing. 

To say he wanted her was an understatement. But he knew he couldn’t have her. Not without breaking his promise to Digg. And he couldn’t do that. Besides, Felicity deserved so much better than him. 

His mind knew all the logical reasons nothing could happen. But he couldn’t help wanting to be around her. Wanting her attention. So he acted like a fucking schoolboy: yanking on her ponytail while relishing the softness of her hair. Muscling past her in the hallway, savoring every press of his body against hers. Making her notice him when she was talking to someone else. 

It didn’t matter how stupid it was. He was making himself be satisfied with crumbs when he wanted the whole damn cupcake. Because Felicity was tiny and adorable–like a cupcake. 

And he was so fucking gone on her, he was thinking things that would embarrass him if anyone ever found out.

By the time he had finished his cold shower–determinedly not thinking about Felicity–Oliver felt almost ready for Sara’s note. He tore it off his locker and unfolded the single page. 

_Ollie–_

_We’re taking matters into our own hands. Digg and Lyla are both gone for the night and we booked you for a private lesson with Felicity, tonight at nine. You better go, and talk things over with Felicity, or else all of us are going to have to choose sides. Because none of us understand why you’re treating her like this, and we’re ready to pick her over you._

_Because we love you, we’re doing this for you._

Underneath the text in Sara’s handwriting were the signatures of everyone else at Battlefield, with the exception of Lyla and Diggle. But what really caught his eye was the words at the bottom, in Laurel’s spiky handwriting. 

_Anyone can see you like her, Oliver. So do something about it. Because I can tell this isn’t like before–and Felicity would be lucky to have a guy who worships the ground she walks on, like you do._

He wanted to crumple up the note and stomp out. He wanted to call each of his coworkers and yell at them for putting him in this position. He wanted to ask Digg for help, for advice, for forgiveness. 

But he couldn’t do any of that, because he was so frozen by the idea of Felicity teaching him yoga. Watching her move, spending time with her, getting a second chance. Because he knew Felicity: she was nothing if not professional. She would give their private lesson her all, because she cared about her reputation. 

It was another way she was better than him. More than he deserved. 

But at that moment, none of that matter. Because Oliver Queen admitted that it was more than want or desire or attraction that drew him to Felicity Smoak.

There was an elemental connection between them. One that he wanted to be deeper and stronger. One that was so important to him, he was willing to break his promise to his best friend.

He was ready to commit. To Felicity. 

With frantic hands, Oliver tugged on a clean t-shirt and a pair of Blue Jays shorts. He tucked the letter into his duffel and then left the break room, heading for Felicity’s yoga studio. 

As he came closer, he felt his hands go clammy. Because what if he had fucked it all up? What if Felicity didn’t want anything to do with him? He didn’t know what he’d do if this backfired. 

When he approached the glass door to Felicity’s yoga studio, he drew in a breath. He could see her, moving gracefully, a sense of peace and calm radiating from her. She was normally so energetic, but now she was nothing but gentle contentment. 

Watching her, Oliver felt his fears and doubts drift away. All that was left was certainty. This was what he was supposed to do, this was who he was supposed to be with. 

And with that, he could once again look at her like he wanted to look at her. With attraction and admiration and lust in his eyes. 

She was wearing a pair of close-fitting capri pants in a soft baby blue, reminding him of the sky. Her sports bra was blue and yellow, clinging to her firm breasts. He nearly groaned when she stood, revealing her flat stomach. He wanted to press his face against her, cover her skin with kisses, dip his tongue into her navel and feel her flinch with giggles at how it tickled. 

Her giggles would become sighs when he tugged on her pants, pulling them off, and then he would bury his face between her legs and feast on her, lapping and sucking and kissing and biting gently. He would draw gasps and moans from her as he pushed her higher, and then, when she was coming against his tongue, he would hold her, ground her, be what she needed to fly. 

Jesus fuck, how was he going to survive just watching her perform her poses, when he was supposed to be taking a class from her? When all he wanted was to plead with her to let him try and treat her like he should have done so from the very beginning? But he was too scared, too worried about letting himself be the man she deserved, because he would break his promise. 

But no promise, no reason, was enough to stop him now. 

Oliver kept watching her, his thumb rubbing against his middle and ring fingers in his nervous twitch. When she slowly pushed herself to her feet, he knew he couldn’t wait any longer.

And then she turned and saw him, her mouth rounding in surprise. But then she took a good look at him, and he saw when she realized something was going on. 

Her chest rose and fell, a pink flush spreading over her face and down her neck. And with that, Oliver opened the door of the studio and stepped inside, his eyes never leaving hers. 

XXX

“Oliver?” she asked as he closed the door behind him, hearing how breathy her voice was. Not recognizing it as her voice, just as she was having a hard time realizing that this was happening. That Oliver was looking at her, his eyes dark and lingering over her face. That her nipples were already tightening in spite of her sports bra from the intensity of his gaze. Already in the right mindset from her warm-up, her body was feeling the warmth of a fire that had suddenly sprung to life. A fire that wanted to become an all-out blaze. 

“What–what are you doing here? I have a student …” she said, her body’s reaction duelling with what her mind told her to do. She couldn’t lose control. She couldn’t forget how he had treated her this last month. Even if he was looking at her like she was water and he was dying of thirst. 

“I know,” Oliver said, his voice raspy and deep. “I’m the student.” 

She blinked. “What?”

“I’m the student,” he repeated. “Sara and everyone else did this. I didn’t know.” He gazed at her for a long moment, his eyes making her stomach clench. The sensation of her body softening, growing wet because of him, for him … she felt drunk. 

“Oh,” she said, licking her lips. Noticing how Oliver’s eyes zeroed in on her mouth at her action. And then she remembered why an eight-year-old boy would pull a girl’s hair and push a girl around and make sure she always paid attention to him.

Because it was the only way he knew to show her he liked her. 

Oliver liked her. He was looking at her like he wanted to eat her up. And she was asking him about his yoga lesson?

Fuck that. 

Without a second thought, Felicity surged forward, going up on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down to her. He stiffened slightly in surprise, but then her lips were on his and everything changed. 

He cupped her face in his hands, his fingers so gentle as they held her. His mouth wasn’t quite so gentle, nipping at her lower lip until she gasped. And then his tongue slid against hers, rubbing and tasting and oh, God, how was that so good? 

His hands trailed over her shoulders and back, slipping a little over her slightly-sweaty skin. She felt unbearably warm as his big hands spread heat wherever he touched her. 

Felicity moved her hands from his neck, letting them slide down his chest, feeling the muscles that her eyes had traced whenever she thought he wasn’t noticing. She kept kissing him, feeling like she could get addicted to his taste, to how he kissed. When she reached the hem of his shirt, she slowly slipped both hands underneath to touch his ridiculously amazing abs. 

“Oliver,” she panted against his lips, “tell me this isn’t some joke, some prank–”

“Fuck, no,” he said, his hands clutching at her hips. “I want you. There’s no joke.” 

Pulling his mouth away from hers, Oliver looked at her, his eyes burning with intensity. “I’ve wanted you from the minute I saw you. But I promised Digg I wouldn’t do anything to fuck things up, to make you quit. That’s why I’ve been such an asshole, and I’m sorry.” 

And with that apology, brimming over with sincerity and honesty, Felicity felt any fears she had drift away. So she smiled up at him as she flattened her hands against his abs. “Thank God. You wanna see how limber I am?” 

Oliver stared at her, then let out a low groan that was just unbelievably sexy before he attacked her mouth with his own, the passion pouring out of him. She had to move her hands to his sides, gripping his non-existent love handles and holding on to him. 

So the kissing? Amazing. It was really working for her. _Really_ working. Because she was ready to move this along. And to prove she hadn’t been joking with her limber comment. 

But first, they both needed to be a lot more naked. 

She somehow managed to take her hands off him and step back, putting some space between them. Oliver’s lips were swollen and his eyes were dazed and it was a good look at him. She was sure her face was red with beard burn and from the heat he was building inside her. But it wasn’t from embarrassment, even as she pulled on the band of her sports bra and yanked it over her head. 

His eyes ran over her chest slowly, watching as she tossed aside the bra and then lifted her hand to pull out her ponytail. He let out a soft little moan that could almost be a whimper when her hair drifted around her shoulders, and Felicity bit her lower lip. 

“What do you want to do, Oliver?” she asked, holding his eyes as she ran her fingers along the waistband of her yoga pants. 

To her utter delight, he didn’t hesitate. “I want to press against that ass of yours, because you have the most amazing ass, Felicity.” 

Unable to stop the giggle that escaped her, she grinned at him. “Then I have just the move. But you might want to lose the clothes, Oliver.” 

He grinned back, his face alight with eagerness and delight, before he whipped his shirt over his head. And Felicity had to watch him as his muscles flexed, because he was so perfect. 

“Thank you,” he said, sounding pleased. 

Oh, frack, she said that out loud. But right now, she didn’t care, because she was pretty sure she was about to blow his mind. 

She shimmied out of her yoga pants, letting them drop to the floor and smiling at his groan. “Are you telling me you’re always naked under those?” he asked, staring at her. 

“Yup,” she said. “I hate thongs and panty lines are the worst.” She sauntered over to her mat, then looked at him over her shoulder and arched an eyebrow. 

Picking up on her unspoken command, Oliver dropped his shorts and came towards her. Which was a shame, because she really wanted to make a thorough examination of him. 

Later, she promised herself–and him. Because he was pressing up against her back, every inch of his bare skin against hers, and oh God, he was so tall and strong and this was going to be _amazing_.

Felicity took a step forward and leaned down, planting her hands on the mat as she went into downward dog. Oliver’s hands went to her hips, just like she wanted him to do, and he pressed his cock right against the seam of her ass and she moaned. Because _yes_.

He was huge. And thick. And really hard. She couldn’t wait to have him inside her. 

But then he surprised her. He stepped back. “Can you do that move from before, like you are now but with your leg in the air?” 

In this position, she can’t see his face. But he sounded slightly tentative but also really turned on, and that combination was okay with her. So Felicity went with it, carefully extending her right leg back with full extension. 

“Yeah,” Oliver said, his voice low and throaty. “Just like that.” 

Huh? And then, looking back towards her left foot, she saw him kneel behind her, his hands setting on her hips.

“Oh, God,” she moaned as she realized what was about to happen, right as it happened. Right when Oliver licked a long stripe through her folds. 

XXX

This wasn’t the first time he had gone down on a girl. But it was the first time in this position, and it was the first time he didn’t want to stop. 

Because fuck if Felicity didn’t taste sweeter than sugar. 

He lapped at her, catching the drops of moisture her body kept creating. Like this, she was spread open and unable to move without toppling over, so all of Felicity’s focus was on keeping herself upright. And he took advantage of that to slide his tongue inside her, to roll his thumb over her clit, to run his hand along her side and knead one of her breasts. 

God, she was so fucking amazing. Her body was so unbelievably toned and firm, yet so soft and curvy. The women he had slept with before had all been about muscles and tightness, but none of them turned him on like Felicity did. 

But even better was finding out what she was like. She was flirty and sexy, adventurous and confident, and he didn’t know how he waited this long. 

The longer he sucked on her, the more she trembled. The leg that was in the air had dropped, her thigh resting heavily on his shoulder. It was like she was trying to pull his face against her center and he had no complaints about that. 

“Oooh, Oliver … yeah, like that–oh, God, yes,” she keened, her words getting breathier the longer he worked on her. “So close–need to come, Oliver, make me come …”

God, yes. Because he was on the verge of coming and she hadn’t even touched him. So Oliver gripped her hip with one hand while he rubbed hard on her clit. He slid his tongue back inside her, because she _really_ liked that, and swirled it around. And then he stopped rubbing her clit and lightly pinched it.

“Oliver!” she screamed, her body jerking back against his face. A gush of fluid poured over his tongue and he swallowed it down, dazedly realizing she had actually ejaculated as she came. Which was fucking sexy as hell and a new life goal: make Felicity do that a lot more. 

And then her arms were collapsing and Oliver’s arms flew out, gently easing her down onto the mat. He moved behind her, both of them on their sides and her back resting against his front. When her soft, boneless body sank back against him, he bit his lip at how she felt laying against his cock. 

“Ooooooh,” she murmured, her hands stroking his arms where they were wrapped around her. “Never did that one before.”

The satisfied purr in her voice made Oliver grin. “And to think, I’ve never taken a yoga class before,” he said, kissing her shoulder, then her neck.

“You’re a natural,” she said, shifting a little. When she spoke again, she sounded amused yet seductive, which shouldn’t be possible but was. “And really, really hard.” 

“Oh, this?” he asked, rolling his hips against her without thought and then groaning. “Felicity …”

“Your turn,” she said, rolling away from him and then pushing him down onto the mat. 

She kneeled beside him, her hands running over his torso, and Oliver shook his head. “Our turn,” he said, looking up at her. At her messy hair, at her flushed face, at the sparkle in her eyes. “I want to come inside you.” 

Her eyes flared with heat and she bit her lip, then nodded. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’m on the pill. You’re clean?” 

Oliver nodded and she nodded back with a smile. And he felt so awed at the trust she showed in him. When she had no reason to trust him. And that made him curse himself for the time he had wasted. For not going to John two weeks ago and saying that Felicity was different. 

“Hey,” she said softly, leaning down to kiss him. They both got caught up in the kiss as Felicity explored the taste of herself on his tongue and lips, while Oliver just soaked up the utter rightness of kissing her. 

Her hand wrapped around his cock and he groaned against her mouth. “Fuck, yes, Felicity.” 

“Mmmm, yes,” she murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Want you inside of me, too.” 

God damn, he _needed_ her. 

“Felicity–” he muttered, lifting her on top of him and wrapping his arms around her before kissing her desperately. 

She let out a little gasp of surprise which was so hot, then wiggled against him. “Oliver,” she said, her voice soft, and then she slid down on him, his cock slipping right inside her wet, hot folds, and he now knew what heaven felt like. 

They both moaned, their eyes meeting, and Oliver knew this was just as amazing for her as it was for him. Felicity kissed him as she moved her hands to the mat on either side of his head. She lifted herself up, changing the angle so he was deeper inside her, and he groaned. 

“Yeah …” she said with a smile, her eyes falling shut. “Yeah, that’s good. Move your hips.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Oliver rocked up, driving his cock inside her with slow, shallow thrusts. It wasn’t going to be enough to get her off, but it let her adjust to his size. Because he could feel how tight she was, her walls squeezing him, and it was so fucking good …

“Oooh,” Felicity said with a wince. “Can’t do this for much longer. My arms …” 

“I’ve got you,” Oliver said, kissing her lightly. “Hold on to me.” 

Felicity grinned at him as she lowered herself against his chest, her arms trapped between their bodies and her hands gripping his shoulders. “Bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Nope,” he said, wrapping one arm around her and using his other arm to lift them up and flip them over, still buried inside her. “Only want you to hold on.” 

Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked, her body so soft against his. “Oliver …”

With the change in position, he was so much deeper. He groaned against her neck. “Ready?” he asked, his voice sounding so raspy and deep and not like his own. 

“Yes–God, yes, Oliver,” she said, drawing her knees up and planting her feet on the mat. And when he thrusted, she arched up, taking him even deeper, and oh, shit, he wasn’t going to last. 

Oliver bent his head and kissed her, wanting to touch her everywhere, wanting to make this last forever, wanting … her. Only her. 

After only a few thrusts, he felt the tension coiling in the base of his spine. Felicity was moaning softly, her hands running over his back and shoulders and arms, but he needed her to come, too. Bracing his left arm on the mat, he lifted his right hand and slid it between them, gently rolling her clit as he kept thrusting. 

The change was immediate: her body shuddered against his and her moans got sharper, louder, hotter. “Oliver–oh, frack, yes!” 

Grinning, he kissed her. “Don’t know what that means, but it’s good, yeah?” 

“Yeah, so good, so gooooood!” Her voice stretched out in an almost-keen as he went even deeper, so he did it again. And then she was clenching him, almost strangling his cock, and it was so fucking epic– _they_ were epic–and she was coming, his name all she could say, and Oliver exploded. 

XXX

Oh, she really hoped she wouldn’t get fired for this. That neither of them would get fired. Because yeah, sex in the workplace wasn’t normally her thing, and she didn’t think it would become her thing. But once in a while? Oh, yeah. 

Especially since Oliver was so completely hot, she didn’t think there was any way she would be able to not screw his brains out from time to time when they were here at the gym. 

Although having sex with a muscled, gorgeous Greek god of a man had one drawback: he was really heavy when he collapsed on top of you after you had amazing, earth-shattering sex. 

“Oliver,” she said, kissing his shoulder. “You’re crushing me a little.” 

“Hmm?” he murmured, his eyes slowly opening. He looked so peaceful and content, she didn’t even mind the lack of oxygen. At least, not quite yet. 

She smiled up at him. “All this muscle is heavy.” 

His smile was so blissed out that Felicity felt her heart skip a beat. “Sorry,” he said softly, kissing her as he moved his arms, starting to lift himself off of her. 

“Don’t go,” she whispered against his lips, wrapping both her arms and legs around him. “Just take some of the weight off me, please.” 

Oliver’s eyes locked onto hers, something warm and deep and different in their depths, and then he smiled and did as she said. He settled his forearms on the mat, his hands lightly stroking her face and her hair. “Hi,” he said softly. 

“Hi,” she replied, feeling shy for the first time tonight. Which was silly, since the things he had done to her–the things they had done together–they were different from what sex had been like for her before. But this? Gazing up at him, not wanting to let him go? This was new. 

“Okay?” he said, one finger wrapping around a lock of her hair. “You and me, I mean.” 

“Just as long as you don’t go back to acting like you were,” Felicity said, running a hand from his shoulder down his arm. Because his arms were amazing and she just wanted to touch him all over.

He shook his head. “No way. That was … that was me being a dick. And I’m sorry about it.” 

“Apology accepted,” she said, brushing a soft kiss over his lips. “Once I figured out why you were acting like a little boy, it was easier to deal with.” She paused, gazing up at him. “And I thought it was so … honorable. That your promise to Digg meant so much to you.” 

“He saved my life,” Oliver said, his voice quiet. “Not just literally. But in all the ways someone can save your life. I owe him everything and he was so disappointed in me. I … I couldn’t let him down again.” 

Felicity nodded, letting her hands roam over his skin, trying to comfort him. “We–we can go tell him together. So that he knows you didn’t take advantage of me and that I’m not gonna quit.” 

His body tensed against hers as his eyes met hers, so blue and so shocked. “Wait, what?” 

Looking up at him, Felicity felt the butterflies in her stomach become bigger and scarier. Because what if this was just a one-time deal? Or he just wasn’t interested in anything more than a friends with benefits thing? 

But she had never backed down from a challenge or hidden how she felt, and she wasn’t about to start now. So she held his gaze as she spoke. “We should tell Digg about this, about us, together. So he realizes you didn’t really break your promise to him.”

XXX

Oliver felt his heart pound. She wanted to be with him? With him, Oliver Queen, giant fuck-up and relationship C4? Because any time he had tried to date someone, to have something serious, he always blew it up. 

And she knew that about him. He had slept with every straight, unattached woman in this gym–well, that worked for this gym. He drew the line at sleeping with students, no matter how much they threw themselves at him.

But Felicity wanted something more with him. Like he wanted something more with her. Because he knew he had found _her_. The one that made commitment anything but scary. Oliver couldn’t imagine kissing anyone else. And he wanted more than just sex with her. Not that it wasn’t amazing and the best he ever had. But he wanted more. He wanted to take Felicity out to dinner and just talk with her. He wanted to have lazy Saturdays on the couch watching movies, and holding her hand when they were walking someplace, and kissing her good morning and hello and goodbye and good night. 

Before, he would have thought all of that sounded awful. Horrible. But with Felicity? It sounded perfect. 

“Yes,” he breathed out, feeling his heart pound in his chest. “Yes, Felicity.” 

Her smile, always so bright and amazing, was bigger and happier than he had ever seen it. She pulled his head down and kissed him deeply, her hands sliding into his hair. 

It was all he could do not to laugh, because he felt so damn giddy and excited. But laughing meant he wouldn’t be able to kiss her, and right now, all he could do was kiss her. 

“God, you drove me so crazy,” she said against his lips. “Because I liked you from the first minute and you didn’t seem to like me.” 

“I liked you,” he said, nuzzling her. “I liked you so much, I didn’t know what to do.” 

She let out a soft giggle. “Once I figured it out, you were so pouty and cute. I was waiting for someone to pass me a note saying ‘Oliver likes you. Do you like him? Check yes or no’.” 

“Okay, I have more game than that,” he said, grinning at her. 

“Not by much,” she said, a delightful little smirk on her face. “I kissed you first, remember.” 

“I was paralyzed by your sexy yoga moves,” he said, kissing her quickly so he could go back to grinning at her like an idiot. 

Felicity smirked again. “Works every time. Even if I had no idea you were there.” 

“Just wait until I do my moves on you,” Oliver said, moving his hand to stroke her side. 

Her eyebrow arched. “I thought that was what you just did?” 

Oliver looked down at Felicity, his cheeks already hurting from all the smiling he was doing. He hoped they were a muscle he could build up with practice, because he didn’t see how he was not going to spend a lot of his future smiling at her. Because she was a woman filled with light and happiness and joy, and he wanted to find that in himself and share it with her. 

“I was talking about Spinning, but if you think you’ve seen _all_ my moves …” He let his voice trail off as he looked down at her. He licked his lips. “Oh, I think we’ve still got a lot of kinks to work out.” 

He saw her breath catch and her cheeks flush, but her smile was so utterly filthy that he was grinning before she even spoke. “Good thing I’m a yoga teacher. I’ll get you all unkinked.” 

And there was no way he could say anything other than a long string of nonsense words, because she had totally destroyed his brain. But he could still kiss her at least. So that’s what he did: kiss her and begin round three. 

End.


End file.
